MEDIA TALK

MEDIA TALK; Hit TV Quiz Show Spawns a Popular Book

By DOREEN CARVAJAL

Published: December 13, 1999

Since Walt Disney's Hyperion moved in last month with its corporate cousin, ABC, the television network and the publisher have become as cozy and warm as a cup of cocoa.

Hyperion just hit the lottery with its bet that thousands of living room players of ABC's popular quiz show, ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,'' would pay $10.95 for an official game handbook of answers to perilous questions.

The show's writers developed the mock questions for the book. The game's host, Regis Philbin, also did his share for Disney's literary side by holding up the handbook during one of the shows. A beaming Mr. Philbin appears on the cover with a green fan of cash and the promise to deliver ''everything you need to practice, play, and win!''

The title is one of those tantalizing examples of synergy that Hyperion was hoping would evolve with its move from its Manhattan offices on Fifth Avenue to ABC's offices at 77 West 66th Street.

Within the last seven days, Hyperion has gone back to press four times to publish more than 200,000 copies of the quiz show guide. It had originally printed 50,000 copies, but quickly realized that would not meet demand, said Robert S. Miller, Hyperion's managing director.

Apparently, there are plenty of desperate readers eager to ponder such questions as: ''In Mozart's opera 'Don Giovanni' how many lovers does Leporello claim Don Giovanni has had in Spain?''

(a) 156 (b) 849 (c) 1,003 (d) 3,727

Final answer? Is that really your final answer? (c).

The book, which is rather slim on text, is dominated by mock questions from the $100 range to $1 million that are similar to those that real contestants can answer on the show with occasional ''lifeline'' help from the audience or a friend. Mr. Miller advised playing practice games at home, but warned with Regis-like tension in his voice that readers should use the literary lifeline -- the answer key -- wisely.

The guidebook is just one example of the growing links between Hyperion and Disney-owned television programming. Earlier this year, Hyperion created a best-selling millennium book of sports events, ''ESPN SportsCentury,'' which was inspired by a series of ESPN shows.

Still to come is a ''Good Morning America Cut the Calories Cookbook'' -- a set of viewer recipes like Nonna's raw apple cake or crepes bombe Nanette. In May, Hyperion will publish an inspirational guide by the ABC correspondent Nancy Snyderman called ''Necessary Journeys: Letting Ourselves Learn From Life.'' DOREEN CARVAJAL